


The Prince and His Knight - Part 2

by KinFletcher



Series: MMX Royal AU [2]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Axl and Douglas aren't named but they're in here, Dissociation, Enough to be squicky to the faint of heart but not that bad, M/M, Memory Loss, Nightmares, Violence, Zero crushing hard, fluff towards the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 04:34:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6738394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KinFletcher/pseuds/KinFletcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zero begins his training with Special Brigade 0 under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Signas. He struggles to keep his old self from re-emerging during practices, all while Abel faces threats from Maverick and other enemies...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Old Friend

            The heat of the summer sun made Zero sweat in his armor, and his hair clung to his neck, but deep down he relished it. Standing in the sandy practice field north of the castle with the other soldiers, fingers curled around the hilt of a hand-and-a-half sword, he felt strangely as though he was in his element. Signas circled the group, followed by another soldier, presumably also a lieutenant. His shield, currently strapped to his back, was spiked, and his rose-colored tunic was covered by gold-plated armor.

            Signas barked a few commands and the soldiers around Zero fell into a formation. He stumbled to follow suit, flushing, but Signas ignored him. He gave a short recount of recent skirmishes on the southeastern border of Abel before beginning a brief swordplay demonstration with the other lieutenant. He ordered the brigadiers to pair up and drill the same technique.

            Zero turned to find that the other soldiers had drifted away from him. Some looked at him with anger or fear in their expressions. He clutched his sword tightly, setting his jaw.

            “Is that Zero?” he heard someone whisper, and he focused on keeping his face calm. He looked at Signas, unsure how to act in the situation. Suddenly a soldier pushed his way through the paired ranks and made his way toward him, grinning.

            “You really don’t remember anything? That’s so exciting that King Regent Cain put you in _our_ brigade!”

            “Halt!” snapped the lieutenant paired with Signas. Signas held up his hand and the other soldiers paused.

            “Forgive me for not informing you earlier. This is our newest brigadier, Zero. I assume you all know who he is.” He paused for a moment, and the whispers among the group of soldiers ceased. “King Regent Cain has assigned him to our brigade, and I expect all of you to treat him as you would our other brigadiers. I will not tolerate dissonance in this unit. Now, get back to the drill.”

            Zero let out a little sigh, relieved to have the focus away of him, though whispers continued here and there. He turned to the soldier who had approached him and began the drill, placing his feet carefully and turning his sword this way and that to catch the shallow blows, before returning the blows and advancing on him. As they went back and forth, the other soldier chattered quietly.

            “I bet you’ll relearn all your swordplay really quickly, won’t you? Don’t worry, if you need help catching up, I’ll practice with you!”

            Zero decided that he didn’t like the boy.

            He looked to be about a year younger than Zero, tufts of unruly brown hair sticking out from under his helmet, two scars marking a pale cross over the bridge of his nose. He slowly drifted off and the boy’s chatter became background noise to the music that was the ringing of swords, his own controlled breath, his stinging shoulders and arms as the drills gradually became more difficult. By the time practice was over, the sun was touching the horizon and little bugs were flitting about in the cool evening air, but Zero felt like no time had passed at all.

            “That was… some practice… eh?” said the boy, gasping for breath. Zero suddenly realized that he had been smiling and immediately stopped, paling.

            “Did I hurt you?” he asked.

            “Nah, you’re just as strong as I thought you’d be! I’ll get lots better with you as my practice partner!” The boy punched his arm and then ran off with the rest of the soldiers, slinging his arm over the shoulders of one. Zero stood rooted to the spot, trying to remember what he had even been doing in the last few hours. He had loved it, that was certain, but it scared him that he had seemingly just lost himself in it. What if some part of his past self came back during his practices?

            He avoided the other soldiers as they put away their armor and swords and bathed the dirt and sweat off their bodies.

            He followed quietly as Signas escorted him back to his chambers, shaken. Once locked inside, he tried to read one of the books that X had given him, but couldn’t focus. He threw the book on his bed and went to his window to give water to the pale pink rose. The scent of it reminded him of his walks in the gardens with X and calmed his nerves somewhat. He hadn’t hurt anyone, after all. He would just have to be more careful.

 

-

 

            As the weeks passed, Zero felt his muscles tightening and savored the vicious soreness after every session with the brigade. He checked his mind carefully during practice, focusing on every blow and parry, every step of his foot, and the sights and smells around him. Over time he grew less afraid as he was able to control himself, and let himself relax into learning again, like meeting an old friend. He learned quickly, obeyed every instruction, pushed himself to perfect every drill, and even began sharing his evening meal with his brigade, even if he rarely talked to anyone.

            But when the other soldiers left to return to their families, patrol the walls of the castle, or even listen in on strategy meetings, Zero was escorted back to his room by Signas. He began to grow very familiar with the sight of the tall lieutenant’s back.

            One night, a quiet knock came at his door. Puzzled, he went to the slot to peek out.

            “I can’t open the door,” he began to say, but cut himself short when he recognized the pair of brilliant green eyes looking up at him through the slot. He stepped back as a guard unlocked the door to let X in.

            Zero struggled to find words while X fiddled with the edges of his sleeves, looking at his feet.

            “I’m sorry I haven’t asked after you,” said the prince. “It’s just that Colonel has been with my uncle a lot and I didn’t want to… upset him or something… you know…”

            Zero shook his head. “No, it’s all right. I’m sorry for just drifting off there.”

            X looked to the window. “You’ve been taking care of the rose,” he said, his tone brightening a little.

            “Of course,” said Zero, without thinking. Guilt still crawled over his shoulders. How could he have left the prince alone as soon as he had called him his friend?

            X smiled. “What’s it been like, practicing with the other soldiers?”

            Zero let out a long breath. “Well, it’s been better than being cooped up in here,” he joked, going to sit on his bed. X followed suit, crossing his legs and playing with a corner of the extra blanket he had sent to Zero’s room. Zero explained his routine and some of the drills they’d done, and how natural it felt to have a sword in his hand again. He ached to confess his fears of becoming his old self again, but stopped himself. He’d already strung more words together than he thought he had since waking up on the battlefield months ago.

            X listened attentively all the while, and then sat back on his hands. “I guess it really suits you, huh?” he said. Zero detected a note of melancholy in his voice.

            “Is something wrong?”

            “Oh.” X glanced at the door; the glaive carried by the guard outside was just visible. “I miss going to the garden with you in the mornings,” he continued, more quietly.

            Zero’s heart thudded. _15, prince,_ he reminded himself. _And probably not gay_ , he added. _“Probably”_ , repeated a smaller voice in his head.

            “I could still go with you,” he said. “Practice doesn’t start until a little after the midday meal.”

            X brightened. “I’d like that,” he said. “Actually… I was hoping that you could become my personal guard.” He sighed. “But Colonel got mad when I asked.”

            Zero shrugged, unsurprised. If he was honest with himself he didn’t want to become one of the silent armored shadows constantly following the prince, even if the notion flattered him. He sat back and listened to X talk about Colonel and how intimidating he was, then about how boring the recent war councils were and how they were growing more frequent. Suddenly Signas appeared in the doorway, accompanied by a bespectacled man in green robes, both on their way down the stairs of the tower.

            “My prince,” he said, “King Regent Cain wishes to see us both, urgently.”

            X’s brow furrowed and he stood up from the bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay, Zero?”

            Zero nodded, and watched the prince’s back before the door closed. He wondered briefly what was so urgent before shrugging it off and stretching his sore muscles and climbing into bed. It wasn’t long before he dropped off to a sleep full of maniacal laughter and weapons glistening with blood.

           

           


	2. Blood and Smoke

            Zero woke to a sharp rap on his door. He barely had time to sit up and cover his naked chest with his blanket before Signas entered. He let his arms down and sat up straight, eyeing his lieutenant uneasily.

            “Troops are marching toward the southeast border,” said Signas quickly. “The brigade is heading out immediately.”

            Zero threw his blankets off and started for his closet before Signas cut him off. “ _Without_ you.”

            Zero couldn’t help the flush of frustration that crawled up his neck.

            “It would be too easy for you to escape to Sigma,” said Signas. “And war captives don’t go into battles.” Zero was about to open his mouth to say that war captives also don’t train with elite brigades, but Signas held up his hand. “No complaints. That’s an order.”

            Zero scowled, shutting his mouth. Signas’ expression softened a little. “I’m not going, either,” he said. “Magna will be directing the brigade. I’m to stay and provide backup.”

            Before Zero could respond, Signas shut the door with a snap. Zero stood for a moment, surprised at the rage that had bubbled up in him so suddenly. He walked to the flower in the window and tried to relax. After a time, he leaned his head out far enough to see soldiers swarming in the stables as footmen marched away from the city. He sighed.

            Suddenly another knock came at his door and he whipped around as X entered. He flushed as X paused; Zero was wearing nothing but his underclothes.

            “You’ve certainly been gaining muscle,” laughed X as he stepped in, holding the door nearly closed behind him. He smiled brightly, and the little voice in Zero’s head sighed in disappointment.

            He dressed himself quickly as X explained that he wasn’t allowed outside today because of all the commotion, and would Zero spend the day with him since he wasn’t allowed out either. Zero nodded, and X smiled, leaning against the door. “I thought maybe I could show you my room,” he said, “Since I’ve seen yours now.”

            “Am I allowed in there?”

            X shrugged. “If a guard comes with us, probably. My uncle is too busy to worry about it right now.”

 

-

 

            Over the months Zero had grown accustomed to the routes he was escorted on in the castle, but this section was one he hadn’t been in since his one visit with Cain, X, and Signas for tea. It was situated over the center of the castle. They walked across a mezzanine which overlooked the little sanctuary housing the statue of King Light before travelling up a few shallow stairs to a hall with two sets of double doors opposite one another, and another tower at the end. X passed the doors. “My uncle and Colonel live in those chambers,” he said, “but since I’m technically the next in line for the throne, I get these.”

            A door at the top of the staircase in the tower opened into an antechamber. Zero tried to keep himself from gawking as X showed him around; the prince’s chambers included a small library, his own personal bathing room, a storage room, an entire room dedicated to X’s wardrobe, and finally X’s private bedroom, just past his solar.

            The entire set of chambers was decorated in light colors and brilliant filigree. Paintings and murals depicting fantastical scenes hung in many of the rooms, and every piece of furniture was carved from matching dark wood and polished to shine.

            “I feel really spoiled,” said X guiltily, once they returned to the antechamber. “I can’t believe that you have to sleep in that tiny room when I have this whole space up here. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

            Zero shook his head. “I don’t mind living in a small space. You deserve all this.”

            “What makes you say that?” asked X, cocking his head.

            Zero realized that he didn’t have an answer to that. He looked at one of the paintings beside them. It depicted a massive yellow dragon with demonic black eyes and glowing red irises.

            “You’re the kindest person I’ve met here,” said Zero. “If it weren’t for you, I might be dead now.”

            X smiled, and Zero’s heart melted a little at the gentle look in his eyes.

            “I’m glad we found you,” said the prince. “I think you’re a kind person too, even if you try to pretend like you don’t care.”

 

-

 

            That night, Zero lay awake in his bed thinking over the day. He had genuinely enjoyed himself for what felt like the first time in his new life. Certainly, training with the brigade felt natural and it was something he was good at, but X made him smile and even laugh sometimes. He couldn’t say that about anybody else he’d met in this new life. He wondered if he should distance himself from the prince to save the heartache of losing him if Zero was sent to another city to patrol, or simply once X was old enough to become king and no longer had time to wander about the gardens with a soldier.

            He told himself to stop fretting and sleep; the brigade would probably be back tomorrow or the next day and he would need his energy for practice. He forced himself to return to his nightmares.

 

-

 

            Zero stood in darkness while the insane laughter rang loudly. He watched as men were brought to a chopping block and slaughtered. Up and down went the axe, to the beat of a deafening wardrum, until its handle was drenched with blood and its silver blade was stained scarlet. Zero saw his face reflected dully in its surface still. He was wearing a small crown. He tried to reach up to touch it, but found that he couldn’t move his arms. Up and down went the axe, until around him men began to scream in terror. The screams grew louder and louder until Zero could hardly bear it. He strained to bring up his arms and cover his ears, but couldn’t. The laughter continued.

 

-

 

            Zero woke with a start and sat upright. The first thing he smelled was smoke, and the second thing was blood. Heart pounding, he stood from his bed and walked to his door. He pressed his ear to it and it slowly dawned on him that the screams were not echoes from his nightmares, but shouts from within the castle. They were under attack.

            Frantically, Zero pulled on some clothing and his thickest pair of boots. He tried the handle of the door only to find it locked. Swearing, he banged on it and then shouted for the guard to let him out, but there was no response. Overcome with frustration and fear, Zero drew back, aimed next to the handle, and kicked the door as hard as he could.

            Pain lanced up his leg, but the door burst open as the lock broke and clattered down the stairs. There was nobody nearby.

            _X_ , thought Zero. Surely the king-to-be would be the first target of the attack. He bolted down the stairs, nearly falling, and dashed toward the center of the castle. The screams grew louder and he slowed down, realizing he had no weapon. The impulse to save X drove him on, however, and he hurried as quietly as he could until he reached the mezzanine. Two crossbowmen lay dead on the ground, one with her arm dangling over the edge. Zero bit his lip. Useless. He didn’t even know how to shoot a regular bow, let alone a crossbow. He crouched low and looked down the hallways on either side. A singular body lay on the floor there, violet cloak pooled around him, a crossbow bolt sticking out of his neck. Zero hurried to the body and silently rejoiced, tugging the longsword from the man’s cold grip.

            He heard screams above him and ran, slipping on blood, up the stairs and down the hall with double doors—both sets were closed with no sign of struggle—and took the spiral staircase to X’s chambers three steps at a time. The door there hung off its hinges. Heartbeat surging in his ears, Zero followed the noise through the solar and into X’s bedroom.

            X stood shaking in the corner, feet planted firmly as he held a bloody glaive, facing a monstrous figure wearing bulky blue and magenta armor. Two Abel guards lay dead on the floor.

            X’s frightened eyes widened in surprise as he saw Zero, but Zero dashed forward before the figure could turn to see him and slashed at the man’s sword arm.

            The man shouted in pain and fury. Zero had just enough time to pull his sword away before the man whirled and kicked him, knocking him to the floor. Zero rolled away from another kick and heard X scream. The man still held his sword despite the blood leaking from his forearm. Zero swore and tried to get in another hit at his arm, but the man blocked it with his sword. Zero’s shoulders and wrists wrenched painfully with the effort of trying to hold the huge man off with just his longsword. The man leaned all his weight into the saber, and Zero’s own sword slowly moved back, towards his throat

            “ _Shit!_ ” the man shouted suddenly, dropping to one knee, taking his sword away to support himself with it. Zero sprang to his feet. X’s glaive was buried in the back of the man’s thigh.

            Zero took the opportunity to swing at his head but missed, earning him a hard punch in the stomach. He staggered back, struggling to breathe, the air knocked from his lungs. Blackness crept into the edges of his vision as he watched the man straining to stand again, blood spilling down his leg. X darted to the other dead guard and snatched up one of her dropped daggers. He slashed at the huge man, who grabbed his wrist and raised his sword.

            Zero heard himself shout “ _NO!_ ” as he lunged forward and swung his longsword, slamming it into the man’s neck with all his might.

            A cold shudder ran up his arm and down his spine as the longsword was wrenched from his hands, stuck in the man’s beefy neck, as he crumpled to the ground, dead. Total silence filled the air for a moment as he and X both stood breathless, staring at the bloody heap with the shimmering sword and glaive.

            X burst into tears.

            It took a few more moments for Zero to process everything before he hurried to X’s side, wrapping his arms around him.

            “Oh my God, Zero, I thought I was going to die, I thought _you_ were going to die, I didn’t know what to do, oh my God, oh my God…” he sobbed, dropping the dagger which he had still been clutching. Zero held him numbly, pressing a trembling, bloody hand against the back of the prince’s head as X buried his face in Zero’s chest, tears flowing freely. They both dropped to their knees. Zero realized that there were tears on his face too, but he couldn’t figure out why.

            More footsteps pounded up the stairs and Zero reached desperately for his longsword, putting himself in front of X, before he realized that it was Signas, followed by three soldiers.

            Signas stopped, looking from Zero to the body on the ground and back. He was spattered in blood.

            “Your Highness?” he asked, still clutching his sword.

            “Yes, I’m fine,” said X in a quavering voice. “Zero saved me from that man.”

            Signas’ look of disbelief turned to bemusement. “Zero did this?” He gestured towards the man on the floor.

            Zero and X both nodded.

            Signas took a few steps inside. “My prince, this is Kaiser, one of Sigma’s lieutenant-generals.”

            X hid his face in Zero’s shirt again, still crying. Zero, dazed, looked at Signas. “It wasn’t just me,” he said. “X used that glaive.”

            “I didn’t know what else to do,” said the prince into Zero back. “I’ve just seen guards use them before and…” he voice broke and he stopped there.

            Signas blinked, face unreadable, and then turned to the soldiers. “You two, clear these bodies away. You, stay here while I fetch the king regent and Colonel.”

             X was still shaking. Zero guided him to the wall and they both sank down and crouched there. As the feeling slowly returned to Zero’s body and then to his mind, he shifted himself and held X tighter.

            “X,” he said quietly, his throat tight. He didn’t know what to say to express himself. “X,” he said again, and what he meant was, _Oh my God, X, I can’t lose you, you’re my only friend in this whole damn place and I just realized I care about you more than I can ever say_.

            X leaned his head into the crook of Zero’s neck. Zero could feel his wet eyelashes against his skin. He swallowed hard and rocked the prince back and forth until he finally stopped crying. “I’m still here,” he said after some time. X looked up and met his eyes. He looked about ready to start crying again when Signas came rushing in again, followed closely by Colonel and a wheezing Cain.

            Zero tried to hurriedly distance himself from X, but the prince clung to him.

 

-

 

            An hour later, the sky was beginning to turn to day as the five of them sat together in Cain’s solar.

            “Your Grace,” said Signas, watching Colonel warily. “I have been observing Zero closely these past months and believe that we have reason enough to remove his status as a war captive.”

            Colonel looked furious. “Everyone knows that he was an expert liar! He’s tricking us to get close to the prince and murder him!”

            “Zero has recently been close enough to the prince to kill him if he wanted to,” said Signas calmly. “I have often seen him spending time peacefully with Prince X, and my guards inform me that Zero is nothing but obedient to them.”

            “You’re below me, Signas,” said Colonel, his voice raising. “If I say Zero should remain a war captive, my word holds more weight than yours.”

            “Colonel,” snapped Cain, and for the first time Zero heard anger in his voice. “It is I who put Signas in charge of keeping watch over Zero, and it is my word which holds the most weight here. I understand your personal reasons for resentment towards him, but your attitude is unacceptable. In this case, I will be hearing Signas.”

            Colonel went silent, fuming. Zero swallowed hard.

            “If I may continue, Your Grace,” said Signas, “Zero has also demonstrated both aptitude and civility during his time in the brigade, and regularly eats with the soldiers when he could choose not to. Outside of these practical reasons, I have also noticed that Zero tends carefully to a flower which Prince X gifted to him. I do not believe that someone who is only a pretender would do such a thing.”

            Zero flushed, both pleased and embarrassed. He had no idea that Signas had been watching him so closely.

            “Yes,” said Cain quietly, folding his hands in his lap. “What of the recent invasion from Doppler?”

            “Zero’s door was kicked open from the inside,” responded Signas. “He also had no armor. And, of course, he played the major role in Kaiser’s death.”

            Zero thought that Cain looked relieved as he turned toward him. “Zero,” he said gently. “I apologize for all of the mistrust. Once our takeover of Doppler is finished—as peacefully as possible—” he glanced sternly at Colonel, “I would like to formally remove your status as war captive. You will have new quarters as well as privacy and freedom to roam the castle and grounds where other soldiers and lower court members are permitted.”

            Zero looked at him, speechless, until X nudged him in the thigh and thanks came spilling out of his mouth. Cain smiled.

            “Now,” he said. “I believe there is a lot of cleaning up for the rest of us to do. Zero, X, I would like both of you to bathe, get fresh clothes, and then go straight to sleep.” He looked at X. “In the vacant accommodations, if you don’t mind, nephew. I don’t want you to have to stay in that bloody room until everything’s sorted.”

            X nodded wearily, and he and Zero left. X was quiet on their way, one hand curled loosely in Zero’s bloody sleeve. When they reached the accommodations, Zero had just enough energy to be impressed. He supposed that rooms made for visiting ambassadors and royals ought to be showy, after all. He and X went to separate bathing rooms and found fresh clothes outside their doors—presumably brought by servants. They were much more comfortable than anything Zero had been given before.

            “Zero?” said X, pausing in the large hallway which all of the bedchambers branched off from. He looked down at his hands. “I don’t want to sleep on my own tonight.”

            Zero almost laughed. “Me neither,” he said quietly.

            They both climbed wearily into a wide bed in one of the rooms as the sun was rising. Zero ached to pull the prince close and make him forget all of the blood and fear, but he merely pulled the covers up and stayed still as X laid one hand on his arm and closed his eyes. Zero watched the little gold halo that the dawn light made on the prince’s hair for a short time, before exhaustion and the sound of X’s soft breathing led Zero to a deep sleep.

           


End file.
